Mon Jan 13 09:18:17 UTC 2025: ## The 90-Hour Workweek Myth: Are We Rewarding Appearance Over Productivity?
**NEW DELHI** – A debate rages over the ideal workweek, with some advocating for drastically extended hours. But a Delhi-based author and academic argues that this push for a 90-hour workweek, often championed by entrepreneurs and tech giants, overlooks crucial issues of productivity and exploitation.
The author draws a comparison between the historical treatment of manual laborers (“hands”) and the modern exploitation of knowledge workers (“brains”). While labor laws eventually mandated humane working hours for factory workers, the digital age has seen a blurring of lines between work and personal life, with employees expected to be constantly “on,” often without overtime compensation. This creates a “technology sweatshop” where brains are overworked without adequate reward.
The piece questions the very definition of work. Does it encompass only time spent in the office, or does it include pre-work preparation, networking, and the careful crafting of an online persona to boost career prospects? This latter “work,” often unpaid, is crucial in today’s image-driven world, yet its contribution remains unquantified.
The author criticizes the assumption that longer hours equate to greater productivity. They argue that poor management, not insufficient hours, is often the root cause of low productivity. Managers who prioritize the *appearance* of work over actual output incentivize employees to “pretend” to work, ultimately harming both productivity and employee morale. Those who genuinely dedicate extra hours often go unrecognized.
Ultimately, the article warns against the insidious creep of work into all aspects of life, blurring the lines between professional and personal time. The question remains: how much work is truly necessary, and are we prioritizing the right metrics for success?
First Piper 